Water Activity News 2005

2005

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SafeStorage

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Published annually by DECAGON

water activity helps you avoid unpleasant surprises. A wellknown corporation wishes they’d checked the water activity of lotion sitting in bottles next to the cash register at a clothing store.

They didn’t make the lotion—but their name was on the bottle when customers squirted the moldy product into their hands.

A nasty surprise for everyone involved.

INSIDE

SafeStorage

EASURING AND CONTROLLING

Bad surprises.

You probably already check your product’s water activity—vigilantly—and know exactly what the water activity value is when the product is shipped. But what happens next? Unfortunately, many products are subjected to extreme temperature variations as they’re shipped and stored. Sometimes these “abuse conditions” affect water activity and lead to bad surprises. But how do you make sure that the safe product you ship is still safe when it’s opened and used?

Measure water activity in real time.

The SafeStorage system, a new Decagon instrument now in beta-testing, might be part of the answer. It gives you the ability to monitor water activity and temperature changes in products as they’re shipped, Continued on page 6 >> Playing the blues in your lab? With AquaLab, you’ll tune in to water activity. It helps you orchestrate your product development.

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Look for us at the following trade shows and conferences in 2005: Food Safety Summit March 16–18, 2005 Washington D.C. PetFood Forum 2005 April 11–13, 2005 Chicago, Il NEHA 2005 Providence, RI June 26–29 2005 www.neha.org/

Ask Anthony Water Activity Product Comparison

You can have your Safety and Profit, too

Customer Focus From the International Desk

IFT Food Expo New Orleans, LA July 16–20 2005 http://www.ift.org

Dates for Trade Shows

IAFP 2005 Baltimore, MD August 14–17 2005 www.foodprotection.org/

President's letter

aw Seminars 2005

AACC Orlando, FL September 11–14 2005 www.aaccnet.org AMI/Food Expo Chicago, IL October 26–29 2005 www.worldwidefood.com AAPS Nashville, TN November 6–10 2005 www.aaps.org/

Feeling powerless? With AquaLab, in less than 5 minutes, you get an a w reading. No wasted energy. So recharge your lab!

You Can Have Safety and Profit, Too

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ater activity (aw) is recognized as an effective way to monitor food safety. Microorganisms have a limiting water activity level below which they cannot grow.

Many manufacturers determine critical water activity levels based on the microbial benefits of water activity only. However, water activity also influences many quality and functional attributes of products, including: browning reactions, crispness, moisture migration, and caking or clumping of powders. To maximize profit, when choosing a target water activity for a product, it is important to

consider both the safety and quality impacts of water activity.

Overprocessing causes losses.

Ready-to-eat meat products, commonly referred to as jerky and meat sticks, are popular snacks that are sold at room temperature and are considered non-potentially hazardous foods. They must have a water activity less than 0.85aw to meet government regulations. Many jerky producers and health inspectors assume that if 0.85aw is safe, then a lower water activity is better because it is “even safer.” The target water activity range is often set at Continued on page 8 >>

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Dear Anthony: I am trying to develop a product that is safe at room temperature. At what water activity do microorganisms stop growing?

This is a great question and is the reason most people use water activity. One purpose of food safety is to prevent growth and toxin production from harmful microorganisms. Every microorganism has a water activity level below which it will not grow. It is the water activity of a product, not the moisture content, which determines whether or not there is enough “available” water for microbial growth. Some critical aw values for different types of microorganisms are listed in the table below:

aw 0.94 0.90 0.88 0.86 0.80 0.70 0.60

Limit Growth & toxin production for all types of Clostridium botulinum Growth of pathogenic bacteria except for S. aureus (aerobic) “Practical” limit for yeasts Staphylococcus aureus (aerobic) Production of mycotoxins “Practical” limit for the growth of molds Absolute limit for the growth of all microorganisms

Since microorganisms require a certain water activity to support growth (see table), control of the water activity in a food can be used to inhibit microbial growth for food safety. The lowest aw at which the vast majority of food spoilage bacteria will grow is about 0.90. Staphylococcus aureus under anaerobic conditions is inhibited at 0.91aw, but aerobically, the growth limit is 0.86aw. By definition a Non-Potentially Hazardous Food is one with an aw value of 0.85 or less. Therefore, by formulating a product to a water activity <0.85, the product may be stored at room temperature and will not support the growth of pathogenic bacteria. However, at water activities >0.70 there is still the possibility of mold growth (see table) in the product even though this product is safe from pathogens. Moldy food, such as moldy bread, is considered a quality issue not a safety issue since moldy food will not cause food poisoning. Knowing and controlling the water activity in foods will significantly reduce the risk of an encounter with either spoiled or dangerous foods.

Anthony J. Fontana Jr. Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist Decagon Devices, Inc. To lower water activity of a food, one can remove water, add ingredients, or lower the temperature.

Removing water through cooking, baking, or dehydration is an effective way to lower water activity. In addition, adding ingredients such as salt, sugars, glycols or amino acids cause some of the “free” water to be “bound” and thus unavailable to the microorganisms for growth.

However, there is a limit to how much of these additives can be added before they affect the taste and texture of the product. Finally, water activity is temperature dependent and when a product warms up, the water activity will increase. Although temperature as well as pH and several other factors can influence whether an organism will grow in a product and the rate at which it will grow, water activity is often the most important factor. Water activity can be used alone or in combination with other factors to give multiple hurdles to inhibit microorganisms.

What standard should I use to calibrate my AquaLab? Calibration of any aw meter, regardless of type, must be verified before any samples are analyzed. You would not use a pH meter or thermometer without verifying its calibration.

Similarly, a water activity Looking for a better way to meter should be verified determine food safety? Try using standards daily, once per shift, or before each use. AquaLab water activity meter.

Checking the aw of a standard solution will alert you to the possibility of contamination of the unit or shifts in the calibration from other causes.

There are two types of salt standards, saturated or unsaturated, and both are easily made or acquired.

Decagons Verification Standards are specially prepared salt solutions that have a specific molality and water activities that are verified and stable for one year. These verification standards are easy to use and greatly reduce preparation errors. Prior to reading water activity standards, ensure that the instrument is clean and free of contamination. Cleaning procedures for all of Decagon’s water activity meters are found in the manual and on an instructional CD-ROM. The instrument should be verified at the same temperature that sample water activity is to be measured.

Where’d everybody go?

They are in the lab looking at the results of their new AquaLab, a better way to improve your products.

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DECAGON DEVICES You should check a minimum of two standards, one below and one above the water activity of the sample you are measuring. For example, if you are measuring a food with a water activity of 0.85 then you should verify the instrument using the 6m NaCl solution at 0.760aw and either steam distilled water (1.000aw) or 0.5m KCl (0.984aw) as the second check. If the readings for both standards are within tolerance, then begin sampling.

Likewise, if you are measuring samples at 0.400aw, then using the 0.250 and 0.500 (or higher) verification standard would be appropriate.

There are some customers who measure a wide range of samples and require verification over the entire range of water activity. These customers will measure all four of Decagons Verification Standards before sampling.

I have just read the Generic HACCP Model 10 for Heat Treated, Shelf Stable Meat and Poultry Products. The example Water Activity ( a w ) Log in the back states: “Critical Limit: Water activity will be = 0.80 at the end of drying”. Why is the value stated as 0.80 a w and not 0.85 a w as stated in other USDA/FDA sources and on Decagon’s website?

I had the exact same question when I read this Generic HACCP Model for Jerky products. The science states and verifies that all pathogenic bacteria stop growing at a water activity of 0.86. Thus, if you produce jerky to a water activity of 0.85 or less, the product will not support the growth of any pathogenic bacteria. Drying your product to a water activity of 0.80 or less does not make the product any safer. In fact the product will have less consumer appeal (because it will be tougher and chewier) and because jerky is sold on a weight basis, you will be losing profit.

After speaking with the FSIS authors of Generic HACCP Model 10, they agree that the correct water activity value is less than 0.85. This is stated in the supporting material of Generic HACCP Model 10. The example Water Activity Log in the back is just a suggested log and the producers are free to make their own scientific based HACCP plan. The 0.80aw value was used because the authors felt it was a reasonable water activity value that most producers could maintain. In reality Decagon’s water activity meters allow a jerky producer to make safe jerky that has good consumer appeal at water activity levels closer to the 0.85aw critical limit.

TOP—AquaLab Series 3TE Water Activity Meter UNDER—AquaLab Series 3 Water Activity Meter LEFT—AquaLab LITE High-throughput a w Testing CENTER—Pawkit Portable a w Meter RIGHT—SafeStorage Unattended a w Data Collection BOTTOM—Water activity Sensors for SafeStorage

Are you a cogitator thinking about how to solve jumbled food quality problems? Pull yourself together. AquaLab is the facilitator solution for you.

Accept no imitator.

Water Activity News 3

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Comparing water activity

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frequently used water activity meters compare side by side? A few months ago we asked Brady Carter, an Application Engineer at Decagon, to line the instruments up on a lab bench and find out. Naturally, we’re somewhat biased towards our own instruments— we’ve been working for 15 years to make them as accurate and easy to use as possible. But we honestly wanted to know how we’re stacking up against the competition.

OW DO THE MOST

Brady ran tests and comparisons using an AquaLab Series 3, an AquaLab LITE, a Novasina Aw Sprint, and a Rotronic Hygrolab 3. He compared statistics on accuracy, repeatability, resolution, range, measurement time, cost of consumables (like disposable sample containers and standards), and warranty.

Then he took the machines and made them do deep knee bends and push-ups—exposing them to all kinds of tough-to-analyze samples from menthol chest rub to soy sauce. Finally, he read through all the instruction manuals (honestly!) and evaluated ease of use, looking at everything from calibration to cleaning.

After reading his report, I thought the AquaLab LITE was the clear winner—

inexpensive, fast, and absolutely impervious to the volatile group of samples Brady tested. So I was surprised when Brady chose the AquaLab Series 3 as the clear winner. “I’d pick the AquaLab Series 3 for accuracy and speed. If I’m making a product where I want to maximize water activity without going over a critical point, the ±0.003 accuracy of the ‘3’ would be huge. And to get that kind of accuracy in under five minutes…that’s the deciding factor. I’d add temperature control if I wanted to look at shelf-life or test product quality changes under abuse conditions.” He also likes the three year parts and labor warranty. “That’s three times longer than anyone else offers.”

How about the other instruments? “AquaLab LITE is less accurate, but it’s also less expensive and quite fast,” Brady said. “Its big advantage comes in measuring volatiles.

Both the LITE and the Rotronic Hygrolab 3 could handle the volatiles without having to be Heard the cleaned and recalibrated.” I asked if that news? means you have to sacrifice accuracy for AquaLab helps the ability to read volatiles. “Yes, right you make now that’s true,” he agreed. “The better product AquaLab Series 3 can be fitted with a decisions. ‘volatiles head’ which allows it to read all volatiles, but this head reduces its accuracy down to the range of the LITE or the Hygrolab 3.”

The Hygrolab 3 in standard mode was much slower than either AquaLab, needing from 8 minutes to over 4 hours Z

Customer Focus Phyllis Williams/Baldwin Richardson Foods Title: Quality Control Technician Instrument: CX-2, Aqualab Series 3

Phyllis Williams has been helping Baldwin Richardson Foods check their legendary sauces, fillings, and syrups for 14 years. And she’s been using AquaLab for nearly that long. Starting as a floor technician shuttling samples into the lab for immediate water activity testing, Phyllis now works full time in the lab doing 24-hour analyticals on many BR products.

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Baldwin Richardson tests the water activity of most of its products as they’re produced and again 24 hours later.

Such testing is frequently mandated by customers, government regulations, or both. And, according to

Phyllis, it’s often water activity that makes the final decision on whether or not to continue processing a batch of product. “If they’re having a problem out on the floor with a particular fudge, for example, we’ll cool down a sample, and if the aw is below 0.85, that determines whether they continue or whether they have to drum the product off.”

Baldwin Richardson has grown “by leaps and bounds” since she started working there in 1992. They’ve built two new additions to their plant and are starting a third. In that time, Phyllis has seen increased dedication to quality control and the technology and equipment that make it possible. “We’ve improved our process systems over the past years and now we seldom find the kind of problem [where a whole batch has to be wasted].”

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meters side by side. on some of the difficult samples Brady ran. But it gave fairly accurate predictions of final aw readings in “quick mode,” which uses an algorithm to predict the final result after 5 minutes. Brady also liked the option of attaching multiple measurement chambers (about $1,550 per chamber) and thought the provided software (which graphs aw changes in real time and rings an alarm if aw exceeds a target point) could be useful.

offset automatically. AquaLab Series 3 doesn’t require calibration—just a periodic offset check and adjustment.

Both the Aw Sprint and the HygroLab 3 have a simple offset adjustment but require a more complicated full calibration. Daily cost of consumables like standards and disposable sample containers varied quite a bit.

Finally (though we know no one but Brady reads them) how readable are the manuals? “I thought both of the AquaLab manuals and the Aw Sprint manual were pretty good—nice, specific directions. But the HygroLab manual…that was a disappointment!

The instructions on how to run a test are located in an appendix! And there was no information about cleaning or troubleshooting.”

The Novasina Aw Sprint, at $10,500 the priciest meter in the test group, was also the slowest. But, Brady noted, it has the tightest chamber seal. Brady is looking forward to trying out Novasina’s newest offering, a meter that claims much higher accuracy.

Looking at ease of use, Brady thought both the AquaLab Series 3 and the AquaLab LITE had simple menus in several languages that were quick to learn.

He found both the Sprint and the Hygrolab “complicated, with lots of submenus that take time to learn.” He found calibration of AquaLab LITE the easiest. It can be done by following onscreen instructions, and offset adjustments are automatic—the machine detects which standard you’ve put in and adjusts the

Some water activity meters just won’t float. Thousands of AquaLab owners know AquaLab is a meter with the best value.

So, if you own an AquaLab, give yourself a pat on the back. We think you made the best choice. If you think you know how we can make our instruments better, drop us a line. If you’d like to see Brady’s full report, just ask. We’d be glad to share. And if you’re thinking of putting a sample dish full of vapor rub in your water activity meter, take Brady’s advice: “Don’t.”

In addition to 24-hour analyticals, Phyllis is in charge of training floor technicians on how to use the lab equipment, including the water activity meter. “I make sure they know that the bottom [of the sample dish] needs to be completely covered and the sample needs to cool down. We use a new disposable dish with every sample to make sure everything stays clean. When we find that somebody has tried to put a sample in and they haven’t done it properly, it hasn’t cooled down, then I shut the machine down, clean, and recalibrate. I emphasize the importance of an accurate reading!”

found a visit by Decagon reps who demonstrated cleaning techniques “very helpful.”

Upkeep of lab instruments is also her responsibility. She makes sure to check her AquaLab with a standard “every day. This equipment is costly and we want to keep it running.” She cleans the instrument periodically and

Water Activity News

She admits to guarding the water activity meter—she wants to avoid the dreaded “dirty mirror” triangle.

Making sure everyone uses the instrument properly means she can avoid time-consuming hassles. “If [AquaLab] is used properly, we don’t have any problems.” She’s working with an older model instrument in the 24 hour lab, but admits a certain affection for it. “It’s a great piece of equipment—very easy to use. When I check it with the standards, it’s right on every time.”

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aw IDEAS

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You Can Have Your Safety and Your Profit, Too —continued from cover 0.80 or 0.75aw to maximize safety. However, there is no gain in safety by drying to water activities lower than 0.85aw, because the growth of all pathogenic bacteria is limited at 0.86aw. So, while there is no safety gain by drying to water activities less than the critical value of 0.85aw, there are losses in both quality and profit. A jerky product that is over dried becomes tough, chewy, loses its palatability, and is undesirable to a consumer. Additional drying also results in greater loss of water and water equals weight. In a product that is sold on a per weight basis, increased weight means increased profits. Those producers who understand the safety and quality impact of water activity will produce jerky at a water activity slightly below the critical 0.85aw value. This product will be tender and juicy, completely safe, and will maximize profits.

“Extra safe” can ruin a product.

A nutritional bar manufacturer may have a problem with mold growth on their product while in storage if the water activity is above the critical value of 0.70aw. With an understanding of the importance of water activity in controlling mold growth, instead of spending money and time for new packaging, adding preservatives, or controlling temperature, they can save costs by Whether you lowering the water activity of the measure shelfproduct below the critical value of life in hours, days, weeks, or 0.70aw. The tendency might be to set the critical water activity value even years, AquaLab lower than 0.70aw to be “extra safe.” water activity meter can help However, after several trial runs using you design the “even lower” water activity better products. formulation, they will soon realize that their bars are stiff, dry, and undesirable. In addition, if a producer lowers water activity by removing water, the lost water results in lost weight and hence lost profits. By producing bars that are only slightly lower than the critical 0.70aw and monitoring the product’s water activity with an AquaLab, they will make a product that has the right texture, is completely safe, and maximizes profit.

No bugs in AquaLab!

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Designing products for long shelf-life.

Sometimes it is critical to consider both the safety and quality ramifications of water activity. A cookie dough producer had an idea to make completely shelf-stable dough by combining a low water activity formulation with pasteurized eggs. The product could be shipped unrefrigerated and stocked on store shelves for long periods since its water activity is below 0.80aw. This product is a great, innovative idea that could result in large profits.

When the water activity stability map was consulted, it was discovered that this range of water activity corresponds with the peak range for non-enzymatic browning reactions. When formulated the dough changed color (darkened) and developed off tastes over time. It is possible to adjust the water activity, through formulation with different ingredients, to reduce the browning reactions and maintain the shelf stability.

Unsafe territory and critical water activity levels.

The wise food producer realizes that maximizing profits depends on an understanding of both the safety and quality impacts of water activity. They need to produce a product that is as close to the critical water activity level as possible without going over it into unsafe territory. The even wiser producer realizes that with a more accurate water activity instrument, the product can be pushed to the critical limit. If the critical water activity limit for a product is 0.85aw and a manufacturer is using a water activity instrument that has an accuracy of ± 0.015, the highest water activity they can safely accept for his product is 0.835aw. If another manufacturer is using an AquaLab Series 3 instrument with an accuracy of ± 0.003, they can accept a product with a water activity as high as 0.847. Depending on the product, that difference in water activity could result in a significant gain in weight and increased profits.

It is possible to produce a product that is safe and maximizes profit. All it takes is an understanding of water activity.

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Water Activity Helps Teach About Food and Nutrition From Labcell Ltd Decagon’s UK Distributor

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N A QUA L AB SERIES 3TE water activity meter is being used by the Food Science and Technology department at Nottingham Trent University to teach undergraduates on the Food and Nutrition course about the importance of water activity (or ERH - equilibrium relative humidity). The easily transportable instrument has proved invaluable for students carrying out projects for food manufacturers.

Funding to purchase the AquaLab came from the East Midlands NTI (New Technology Initiative) that was set up to encourage the use of up-to-date technologies in the food and drink industry, together with money from the HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England). Prior to this, the concept of water activity—and its vital role in food safety, shelf life, taste and texture—was covered only in lectures. However, the introduction of the AquaLab has enabled students to gain hands-on experience with one of the fastest, most accurate i n s t r u m e n t s available for measuring the water activity of solid, liquid and powder samples.

Readings can be obtained in just five minutes, which means that valuable lab time is not wasted, and the accuracy of ±0.003a w over a water activity range of 0.030 to 1.000a w is more than adequate for teaching purposes, yet it is also suitable for projects undertaken for commercial organizations. The chilled mirror dewpoint Been waiting for something a measurement technology is little faster in your lab? inherently robust and AquaLab measures water accurate, especially when activity in under 5 minutes.

DECAGON DEVICES

AquaLab enables students to gain handson experience with one of the fastest, most accurate instruments available for measuring the water activity of solid, liquid and powder samples.

the TE (temperature equilibration) option is specified to enable measurements to be made at a specified temperature.

Remarkable ease of use also ensures that students can learn to use the instrument very quickly and there is little chance of errors being made during use. Furthermore, the instrument is also quick and easy to clean and calibrate, which allows more time to be devoted to teaching and less to ‘housekeeping’.

Mike Dixon, Senior Lecturer in Food Science and Technology, comments: “We chose the AquaLab having investigated what products were available on the market and talked to some users. Having used it for around six months I am happy to report that we have had no problems with it whatsoever, and it has proved to be easy to use both in our own laboratories and on-site at food manufacturers’ premises.”

One student project for which the AquaLab has been utilized involved measuring the water activity of fruit cake to enable the flour grade and cooking time/temperature to be optimized. Details such as these can make a significant difference to the quality and profitability of a particular product line.

Mike Dixon adds: “All of the undergraduates have got on well with the AquaLab, and we have been able to spend time using it, rather than in training, cleaning or calibrating. Although we have not yet used the facility for downloading data to a PC, this is something that we expect to do in the near future.

In conclusion, I would certainly recommend the AquaLab series 3TE to other academic departments, as well as commercial users.”

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Dear Customers,

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Call me personally and let me know if there is anything we can do to make your water activity measurement experience better. We are committed to doing so.

Tamsin Campbell President

Water Activity News

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SafeStorage

Philadelphia, PA (April 27) Princeton, NJ (April 28) Pharmaceutical Seminar New Orleans, LA (July 20) Portland, OR (October 20) Chicago. IL (October 25)

Safety problems?

Get off the hook and learn more about water activity. Catch the next Decagon seminar.

What are the Water Activity Seminars all about?

Our one-day short course on Fundamentals of Water Activity will help you understand how the water in your product relates to quality, shelf-life, and safety. You will learn practical uses and applications of water activity in product formulation, processing, and storage. The concepts will be illustrated with examples from the food industry.

Register Now! Cost: $179 for one person $159 per person for two or more attendees. http://www.decagon.com/seminar/

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stored, and shelved. Up to five small, versatile sensors can be mounted anywhere—inside warehouse spaces, shipping containers, packages, or even products. The sensors are connected to a monitor which records water activity, and temperature. You can even access the data remotely and monitor water activity and temperature changes in real time.

Replacing sucrose with other sweeteners changes the water activity of the mix. The manufacturer wants the customer to open a package and scoop out the powdered mix. He doesn’t want any surprises—no hard brick of caked drink mix, for example.

Monitoring the water activity of his powder under real-life shipping and shelf conditions lets him be sure that neither he nor his customer is surprised.

Monitor water activity during shipments.

That means you can reduce or eliminate the chance of nasty surprises. That’s what one beta tester, a Brazil nut importer, is doing. When the nuts are packed into huge cargo containers, the water activity is fine. When the containers are opened after shipping, the importer is faced with piles of moldy nuts. What happens during shipment has been a frustrating—and expensive—mystery. By monitoring the relative humidity of the container and the water activity of the Brazil nuts during shipment, our beta tester intends to solve both the mystery and the problem.

No wasteful over-packing.

But though the drink mix manufacturer wants to be safe, it doesn’t pay to overdo it. For a large manufacturer, overpackaging which wastes even a fraction of a cent can add up quickly to millions of dollars in lost revenue. So this manufacturer is also using SafeStorage to determine the best packaging for his drink mix. With SafeStorage’s realtime monitoring capability, he can test different types of packaging materials under actual shipping and storage conditions. After running thorough tests, he can pick adequate packaging that may save him quite a bit of money and still allow him to avoid nasty surprises.

Reduce clumping in powders.

You can use SafeStorage to test formulation, as one drink mix manufacturer does. He is reformulating a popular drink mix to market to low-carb dieters.

SafeStorage isn’t in full production yet, but if you’re interested in what it might be able to do for you, give Decagon a call.

800-755-2751

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©2005 DECAGON Printed in USA

Dates and Venues:

e are very pleased to continue our service to you, now in our 23rd year. There are some things that you can always count on from Decagon. 1) We care about the science behind the instruments we sell. We employ scientists with engineering ability and not vice versa. 2) We want you to know how that science (through our instruments) can work for you. We can talk to you about your product, not just AquaLab instruments.

Sincerely,

Water Activity Seminars Schedule for 2005

DECAGON, 950 NE Nelson Court, Pullman, Washington 99163 800-755-2751 fax 509/332-5158, aqualab@decagon.com, www.decagon.com/aqualab

Monitoring water activity is a healthy and wholesome benefit for your products.

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